ColorTone Metallic Aerosol Guitar Lacquer

ColorTone Metallic Aerosol Guitar Lacquer

Create your own goldtop, or silver guitar. ColorTone Metallic Aerosols are not hardware store colors: we've formulated these to match well-known guitar finishes.

3 shades of gold
Ever notice the way goldtops vary in color, depending on age and condition? Each is beautiful but different, so we offer three shades of gold:
Antique Gold This is the classic goldtop most people have in mind.
Pale Gold Lighter, slightly faded look of years in a pawn shop window.
Bright Gold Brilliant sparkle, like it just came from the factory.

Silver recreates the look of Fender's Inca Silver finish.

Use ColorTone Metallics as a base coat under transparent colors for classic finishes like Candy Apple Red or Sparkling Burgundy.

"I see a lot of vintage guitars in my shop. Most aerosols don't really come close to looking like the colors they are intended to. These ColorTone finishes nail the look of vintage beauties I've had on my bench."
—Erick Coleman, guitar repairman and StewMac tech advisor

ColorTone® Metallic Aerosols are the easiest way to spray a metallic finish. No metal powders to mix, and no clogged spray guns. Spray them over ColorTone White Vinyl Sealer. They can also be sprayed over smooth unfinished wood or grain filler. Spray additional coats of ColorTone Clear Aerosol Guitar Lacquer for a hard, durable finish with a deep gloss. Metallic coats should not be sanded.

13-ounce aerosol cans.

Tips for aerosol finishing
A guitar body typically requires 1 can of sealer, 1 can of color, and 4-6 cans of clear topcoat.

• Spray multiple thin coats instead of one heavy coat.
• Use sanding sealer to seal the wood and build up the finish before applying your color coats or clear topcoats. Sanding sealer is heavy-bodied; one coat equals two coats of lacquer. One or two cans of sealer is usually enough for an entire guitar. After building up the sealer coats, level sand with 320-grit paper to create a thin, flat surface for your color or clear coats.
• Compared to professional spray guns, aerosols create a slightly rougher surface, so topcoats require more sanding of the clear topcoats to achieve a level surface.
• Metallic coats should not be sanded. Spray clear coats over metallics to build a topcoat which can be sanded for a final, level surface.
• Choose low humidity days for spraying. Dan Erlewine often recommends spraying outdoors on a clear dry day.

Our ColorTone Aerosol Finishing Kit is great for the first-time finisher. It includes sealer, gloss lacquer, polishing compounds and our Guitar Finishing Step-by-Step book.

Tip: Use warm lacquer for better results 

Pro shops spray heated lacquer because cold lacquer spatters, requiring extra sanding. You should warm up your aerosol lacquer too, simply soak the cans in a sink of warm tap water. See our video with even more tips on how to spray a professional finish at home.